Page 9 - DLIS407_INFORMATION AND LITERATURE SURVEY IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Information and Literature Survey in Social Sciences

Notes y Sociology: Sociology is the study of society and human social action. It generally concerns itself
with the social rules and processes that bind and separate people not only as individuals, but as
members of associations, groups communities and institutions and includes the examination
of the organization and development of human social life. The sociological field of interest
ranges from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the
study of global social process. Most sociologists work in one or more subfields.
y Political science: Political science is an academic and research disciplines that deals with
the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and
political behaviour. Fields and subfields of political science include political economy, political
theory and philosophy, civics and comparative politics, theory of direct democracy, apolitical
governance, participatory direct democracy, national systems, cross- national political analysis,
political development, international relations, foreign policy, international law, politics, public
administration, administrative behaviour, public law, judicial behaviour, and public policy.
Political science also studies power in international relations and the theory of Great powers
and Superpowers.
There are so many other fields that enhance the scope of social sciences in the century of machines.
Here we will study the economics and political science disciplines of social science.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
1. ……………..include various disciplines dealing with human life, human behaviour, social
groups and social institutions.
2. ……………….. is a social science that seeks to analyze and describe the production,
distribution, and consumption of wealth.
3. ……………….is an academic and research disciplines that deals with the theory and practice
of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour.

1.2 Economics

Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods
and services. Current economic models emerged from the broader field of political economy in the
late 19th century. A primary stimulus for the development of modern economics aims to explain
how economies work and how economics was the desire to use an empirical approach more akin
to the physical sciences. Economics aims to explain how economies work and how economic agents
interact. Economics analysis is applied throughout society, in business, finance and government, but
also in crime, education, the family, health, law, politics, religion, social institutions, war and science.
At the turn of the 21st century, the expanding domain of economics in the social sciences has been
described as economic imperialism.
Common distinction are drawn between various dimensions of economics. The primary textbook
distinction is between microeconomics, which examines the behaviour of basic elements in the
economy, including individual markets and agents (such as consumers and firms, buyers and sellers),
and macroeconomics, which addresses issues affecting an entire economy, including unemployment,
inflation, economic growth, and monetary and fiscal policy. Other distinctions include: between
positive economics (describing "what is") and normative economics (advocating "what ought to be");
between economic theory and applied economics; between mainstream economics (more "orthodox"
dealing with the rationality-individualism-equilibrium nexus); and between rational and behavioural
economics.

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